Love Works Together
by MizushimaYoko-sama
Summary: It all begins with Sasuke agreeing to go with Sakura... can this one date spark off everyone else's hidden loves?


"Please, Sasuke!" Sakura was begging him, and holding onto his arm like her life depended on it. "I really want to see this film, please come with me, Sasuke-kun, I - "

"_ALRIGHT! _For _freak's_ sake, Sakura... if it'll make you happy, I'll come already..." What he meant was, 'if it'll shut you up, I'll come along', but Sakura took it literally - 'I don't want to see the film, but I want you to be happy so I'll come' - and hugged him before he could stop her.

"Thank you!! So, I'll see you there at half five, then?" The bell rang. Sasuke picked up his bag.

"Half five, this evening, The View. OK." He hurried off.

"You seem happy Sakura," commented Hinata as she sat down by her.

"I am happy," laughed Sakura. "Sasuke just agreed to go to the cinema with me!"

"You're lucky," said Hinata.

"What?" Sakura looked confused. "You don't fancy him do you?"

"No! You're lucky to have the courage to ask him, that's all. I don't have that courage... I've never had the courage to tell _him_ how I feel..."

"_'Him'_?"

"I didn't just say that."

"Yes you did, tell me what you mean!"

"I - I've never had the courage," she whispered, "to tell - to tell Naruto... that I - I love him..."

"So you love Naruto? You really do?"

"Sakura, promise me you won't tell him! Or anyone else..."

"No, I won't promise!"

"Huh?!"

"You need a helping hand, Hinata! For that matter, so does Naruto! No, I'll promise you that I _will _get you two together, so there!"

It was only 5:26 but Sakura was already waiting impatiently, even though the film didn't start until six.

"You here on your own?"

Sakura spun around. Ino was stood with Chouji. She was spared having to think up a good reply by the arrival of Sasuke.

"There you are Sakura - you didn't tell me it was Hairspray we were watching! Next time I'm going to make sure I know what I'm going to be seeing _before_ I agree to come!"

Ino looked furious. Sakura smiled sweetly at her and whispered as she went past,

"I came with Sasuke-kun, and you turn up with Chouji?"

"It was a team outing, until Shikamaru disappeared!" hissed Ino, not wanting her to think she was going out with Chouji.

"So basically... I have the perfect date, and you don't have one at all..."

"Oh, look - there's Shikamaru!" said Ino. "Hey Shikamaru, where did you... disappear to...?" That was when Ino realised he wasn't just walking next to Temari, as she had thought, but arm in arm with her, talking animatedly!

"Are they going out or something?" Ino demanded of nobody in particular.

"Didn't you know?" said Chouji. "Oh, Shikamaru told me," he added in answer to her surprised and puzzled frown.

"Oh, great," said Ino. "So, Sakura's managed to get Sasuke-kun to come (heh, how much did she pay him?), and Shikamaru's got a date, and I'm stuck here with you!"

"Thanks," replied Chouji.

"No problem." Ino was in a bad mood.

They sat down. Chouji got up again, bought lots more popcorn, and sat down again.

Meanwhile, Sakura and Sasuke sat down elsewhere. Sakura had bought popcorn for both of them.

"Why did it have to be _Hairspray_?" he moaned.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, you can choose next time..."

"Who said there would be a next time?..."

And in a different part of the cinema, Shikamaru and Temari sat down together and held hands.

Hinata sat in her room, thinking.

_I have to tell Naruto before Sakura gets to him. I have to do this myself..._

_But how? I'm not brave enough to tell him how I feel... like I said to Sakura, I don't have that kind of courage._

_But I can't let Sakura tell him for me, and she will if I don't first... this is personal..._

_But I can't do it. Sakura's better at that sort of thing... I think._

She gave up for the night.

The first half of the film, nothing much happened, apart from Temari kissing Shikamaru on the cheek, and Ino getting annoyed that she couldn't hear the film over the sound of Chouji munching popcorn.

During the interval, Sakura bought Sasuke a big bar of chocolate.

"Thanks," he said, "but you don't have to. I'll pay for it myself."

"No, I want to buy it for you!"

"No, it's alright, I'll pay." And he forced the money onto her and disappeared back to his seat.

Sakura chased after him and sat back down by him. He was looking at the chocolate and he suddenly gave it back to her, saying,

"No, I don't like that flavour. You have it. Merry Christmas."

"Oh - thank you, Sasuke-kun!" she said. "I - "

"Oh, and I'm still paying," he added. "Call it your early Christmas present. Two months early."

Sakura smiled at him. "I'll eat it later. The film's about to start again." As the second half of the film began to play, Sasuke, uninterested in the film, watched Sakura instead.

His pink-haired team-mate had liked him for a long time. He felt a little sorry for her that he couldn't return her feelings. Or _could_ he?

Gently, he touched the hand by her side with his. Sakura looked around but he pretended to be watching the film. Sakura looked stupidly between her, him and his hand for a moment before curling her hand around his.

At that moment, a tingle went down both their spines and Sasuke was amazed at this feeling of love for this girl in a way he had never felt before.

Overcome suddenly by this new feeling, Sasuke gripped Sakura's hand tightly, turned to her and whispered,

"Sakura-chan."

"Yeah?" she whispered back.

"I - I love you!"

Sakura's turn to be amazed and overcome! "Really?" she breathed, after a long pause.

"Would I say it if I didn't?"

"Sasuke-kun... I've loved you forever!"

"I know that, Sakura-chan." Sasuke had moved closer and was breathing his words into Sakura's ear. "And now I love you too."

Sakura was so, so happy. She kissed him on the cheek and he responded by kissing her on the lips.

Just at that moment Ino glanced over.

She saw them kiss and was furious with jealousy. "I don't believe it!" she hissed. Chouji looked around.

"Eh?" But Ino didn't notice; she was too busy muttering, "No way. No way! I'm seeing things. Sasuke-kun is _not_ kissing _Sakura_! He's _mine!_"

Chouji listened and sighed. How could he have ever thought he had a chance with someone so obviously and totally devoted to another boy? But then again, maybe, now she had lost Sasuke... maybe he had a chance...

The next day, Sasuke and Sakura could be seen walking to school together. Of course people were staring, especially jealous girls. Ino finally gave up trying to convince herself that she _hadn't_ seen them kiss when they walked past her hand-in-hand.

Meanwhile Hinata was stalking Sakura to make sure she didn't tell Naruto. But eventually she needed the loo and Sakura took her chance. She looked around and soon saw a glimpse of Naruto; she ran to catch up with him.

"Naruto!" she called. Naruto looked around and grinned. But under the grin was the pain of the memory of what he had seen earlier on. Sakura had always liked Sasuke but now he had completely lost her to him.

"Naruto, I have to tell you something," announced Sakura.

"Mm-hm?"

"It's about Hinata. She doesn't want me to tell you this but I think I have to."

"Huh?" Naruto was completely befuddled.

"Look Naruto-kun, Hinata loves you!"

"What?!" Just then Hinata ran around a corner and skidded to a halt in front of them. She stared, horrified. Naruto stared back, amazed.

"N-Naruto-kun!" She couldn't think of anything to say.

"Hinata-chan..." He couldn't think of anything to say either. After a whole minute of staring and hard thinking from both of them, during which Sakura slipped away to give them some privacy, Naruto stepped forwards.

Hinata blushed a little and every silent step he took she blushed a little redder until he was standing right by her and hugged her.

"Hinata-chan, why did you never tell me?" he asked softly.

"Too nervous," mumbled Hinata. She could feel a tear at the back of her eye but did nothing to try and stop it, she didn't want to move, she was happy where she was with Naruto's arms around her.

"Nervous of what? What did you think I would do?"

"You loved Sakura..."

"True..." Naruto looked away for a moment before continuing, "But you could have said today. Sakura was going out with Sakura already."

"You might still have said no... I was so scared you would say no..."

Naruto hugged her closer. "No, Hinata-chan... if I had known.. hang on, I _do_ know now. Anyway, Hinata-chan, you loveable idiot, you had nothing to be afriad of." And he gently kissed the top of her head and brushed away her tear.


End file.
